Events in the year

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It corresponds to the year Heisei 9 (平成9年) in the

Japanese calendar Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written form starts with t ...

Incumbents

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide. Bo ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

: Ryutaro Hashimoto ( L–Okayama) *

Chief Cabinet Secretary The is a member of the cabinet and is the leader and chief executive of the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan. The Chief Cabinet Secretary coordinates the policies of ministries and agencies in the executive branch, and also serves as the government ...

Seiroku Kajiyama was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1976 and from 1979 to 2000, as Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party from 1992 to 1993, and as Chief Cabinet Secretary from 1996 to 1998. Early lif ...

(L–Ibaraki) until September 11, Kanezō Muraoka (L–Akita) * Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

: Toru Miyoshi until October 30, Shigeru Yamaguchi from October 31 * President of the House of Representatives:

Sōichirō Itō is a sport shooter who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics and in the 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic ...

(L–Miyagi) * President of the House of Councillors: Jūrō Saitō (L–Mie) * Diet sessions: 140th (regular, January 20 to June 18), 141st (extraordinary, September 29 to December 12)

Governors

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

Reiji Suzuki 鈴木礼治さん死去　元愛知県知事、９３歳
was a Japanese ...

*Akita Prefecture: Kikuji Sasaki (until 31 March); Sukeshiro Terata (starting 23 April) *Aomori Prefecture:

Takeshi Numata Takeshi ( in hiragana or in katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings *武, "warrior" *毅, "strong" *猛, "fierce" *健, "healthy" *剛, "sturdy" *彪, "spotted" *威, "intimidate" *壮, "robust" *丈, "length" *雄, "mascu ...

*Chiba Prefecture: Akiko Dōmoto *Ehime Prefecture:

Sadayuki Iga Sadayuki (written: or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese businessman See also * 48624 Sadayuki, a main-belt asteroid {{given name Japanese masculine given names

*Fukui Prefecture:

Yukio Kurita Yukio is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yukio can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *幸夫, "happiness, man" *幸生, "happiness, live" *幸男, "happiness, man" *幸雄, ...

*Fukuoka Prefecture: Wataru Asō *Fukushima Prefecture: Eisaku Satō *Gifu Prefecture:

Taku Kajiwara Taku may refer to: Places North America * the Taku River, in Alaska and British Columbia ** Fort Taku, also known as Fort Durham and as Taku, a former fort of the Hudson's Bay Company near the mouth of the Taku River ** the Taku Glacier, in Ala ...

*Gunma Prefecture: Hiroyuki Kodera *

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

: Yūzan Fujita *

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Tatsuya Hori is a Japanese politician. He was director of the Hokkaidō-Kitami University. From 1995 he served as governor of Hokkaidō for two terms totalling 8 years. He was chairman of the board of Sapporo University. He was associate professor at Tokyo ...

*Hyogo Prefecture:

Toshitami Kaihara Toshitami Kaihara (August 24, 1933 - November 13, 2014) became a Vice Governor in 1970 and Governor of Hyogo Profecture in 1986, a position he held for four terms over 15 years. Prior to that he was an official at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He h ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

Masaru Hashimoto is Japanese politician who was the governor of Ibaraki Prefecture from 1993 to 2017. Life Masaru Hashimoto was born on 19 November 1945 in Tōkai, Ibaraki Prefecture. He is a graduate of the University of Tokyo, and joined the Ministry of H ...

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

Masanori Tanimoto is a Japanese politician who was the governor of Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4 ...

*Iwate Prefecture:

Hiroya Masuda is a Japanese politician, government official, and business executive. He was Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications from August 2007 to September 2008, and has served as the president and CEO of Japan Post Holdings since January 2020. ...

*Kagawa Prefecture: Jōichi Hirai *Kagoshima Prefecture:

Tatsurō Suga Tatsurō, Tatsuro or Tatsurou (written: , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese singer *, Japanese football player *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese sumo wrestler *, Japanese baseball ...

Kanagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-densest at . Its geographic area of makes it fifth-smallest. Kana ...

: Hiroshi Okazaki *Kochi Prefecture:

Daijiro Hashimoto is a politically independent former governor of the Kōchi Prefecture who served from 1991 to 2007, with an intermediate resignation in 2004 to test support after a scandal alleging transactions between his campaign aide and a construction compan ...

Kumamoto Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Kumamoto Prefecture has a population of 1,748,134 () and has a geographic area of . Kumamoto Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the north, Ōita Prefecture to ...

Joji Fukushima Joji (じょうじ, 丈二, or 譲二, 城二, 譲治 multiple variants) is a Japanese masculine given name. It is also the Japanese pronunciation of the Western name "George" (ジョージ). It commonly refers to: * Jōji, an era in Japanese histo ...

* Kyoto Prefecture:

Teiichi Aramaki Teiichi (written: 貞一) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese sprinter *, Japanese composer *, Japanese general *, Japanese general Fictional characters *, protagonist of th ...

*Mie Prefecture:

Masayasu Kitagawa Masayasu is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: * Hotta Masayasu (1848–1911), Japanese politician * Inaba Masayasu (1640–1684), Japanese feudal lord *Masayasu Wakabayashi is a Japanese comedian, television ...

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

: Shirō Asano *Miyazaki Prefecture: Suketaka Matsukata *

Nagano Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,052,493 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture to the north, Gunma Prefecture to the ...

: Gorō Yoshimura *Nagasaki Prefecture: Isamu Takada *Nara Prefecture:

Yoshiya Kakimoto Yoshiya (written: 佳也, 栄哉 or 代志也) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * (born 1987), Japanese footballer * (born 1973), Japanese footballer Yoshiya (written: 吉屋) is also a Japanese surname. N ...

* Niigata Prefecture:

Ikuo Hirayama Ikuo Hirayama (''Hirayama Ikuo'' 平山郁夫; 15 June 1930 – 2 December 2009), was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture, he was famous in Japan for Silk Road paintings of dreamy desert landscap ...

*Oita Prefecture:

Morihiko Hiramatsu was a Japanese politician who was governor of Ōita Prefecture from April 1979 to April 2003. He is best known for initiating the One Village One Product movement in the prefecture, which was later followed by various other countries. Early li ...

Okayama Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

: Masahiro Ishii *

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

Masahide Ōta was a Japanese academic and politician who served as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1990 until 1998. After starting his career as a professor at the University of the Ryūkyūs, he wrote books in English and Japanese, mostly about the Ba ...

Osaka Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8,778,035 () and has a geographic area of . Osaka Prefecture borders Hyōgo Prefecture to the northwest, Kyoto Prefecture ...

Knock Yokoyama was a Japanese politician and comedian. Born Isamu Yamada (山田勇 ''Yamada Isamu'') in Kobe, he adopted his current stage name while directing the ''Manga Trio'' manzai troupe from 1959 to 1968. Following his comedy years, he went into the c ...

Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasak ...

Isamu Imoto was a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Saga Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of 809,248 (1 August 2020) and has a geographic area of 2,440 km2 (942 sq mi). ...

Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefecture ...

: Yoshihiko Tsuchiya * Shiga Prefecture:

Minoru Inaba is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production. Inaba is best known for his roles in The Walt Disney Company, Disney productions (as Chip 'n Dale, Dale), ''Buzz Lightyear of Star C ...

*Shiname Prefecture: Nobuyoshi Sumita *Shizuoka Prefecture:

Yoshinobu Ishikawa was the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan, first elected in 1993. A native of Kakegawa, Shizuoka, formerly known as Daitō, Shizuoka, and graduate of the University of Tokyo, Department of Law, he had worked at the Ministry of Home Affai ...

*Tochigi Prefecture: Fumio Watanabe *Tokushima Prefecture: Toshio Endo *

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

Yukio Aoshima was a Japanese politician who served as Governor of Tokyo from 1995 to 1999. He is also well known as a TV actor, novelist, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Early life and artistic career Yukio was born in Nihonbashi ward of Tok ...

*Tottori Prefecture: Yuji Nishio *Toyama Prefecture:

Yutaka Nakaoki Yutaka is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yutaka can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *豊, "bountiful" *裕, "affluence" *穣, "fertile" *温, "warmth" The name can also be written in hiragana ゆ� ...

*Wakayama Prefecture:

Isamu Nishiguchi is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Isamu can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *勇, "courage" or "bravery" *勲, "merit" *敢, "gallantry" *武, "war" The name can also be written in hiragana or kata ...

*Yamagata Prefecture: Kazuo Takahashi *Yamaguchi Prefecture: Sekinari Nii *Yamanashi Prefecture:

Ken Amano Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

Events

* January 2 – Oil spill in

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

near the Oki Islands from the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...

tanker, ''Nakhodka''. * February 1 –

1997 Aisin fire The 1997 Aisin fire was a fire which shut down one of the production facilities of the Toyota-subsidiary Aisin Seiki Co. on February 1, 1997, a Saturday. The event was notable as the factory was the main supplier of a motor part for Toyota cars. Due ...

* February 7 – MDM Corporation, as predecessor for

Rakuten () is a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997. Centered around Rakuten Ichiba, its businesses include financial services utilizing financial technology, as well as digital content and communicati ...

, founded in

. * March 1 –

Osaka Dome The (official name: ) is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Osaka, Japan. Opened in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the mer ...

, a baseball stadium in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, is completed. * April 1 – The consumption tax rate is raised from 3 to 5%. * May 8 – The

Japanese Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

passes the

Ainu Ainu or Aynu may refer to: *Ainu people, an East Asian ethnic group of Japan and the Russian Far East *Ainu languages, a family of languages **Ainu language of Hokkaido **Kuril Ainu language, extinct language of the Kuril Islands **Sakhalin Ainu la ...

Culture Law and repeals the Ainu Protection Act. * May 30 –

Nippon Kaigi The Right side up ...

is organized. * July 10 – Debris blown by heavy rain in Harihara,

Izumi, Kagoshima is a city located in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1954. As of 2017, the city has an estimated population of 52,978. In 2008, the city had a population density of 170 persons per km². The total area is 329.98 ...

, kills 21, injures 13. * July 12 – Hayao Miyazaki's

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

film

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 Japanese animated epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu. The film stars the voices of Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida ...

is released in cinemas. * October 1 –

Nagano Shinkansen The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...

open between Takasaki to

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

, with

direct high-speed rail train start. * October 11 – The

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

organization

PRIDE Fighting Championships PRIDE Fighting Championships (Pride or Pride FC, founded as KRS-Pride) was a Japanese mixed martial arts promotion company. Its inaugural event was held at the Tokyo Dome on October 11, 1997. Pride held more than sixty mixed martial arts even ...

holds its inaugural event at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event Rickson Gracie defeats Nobuhiko Takada by armbar. * November – Financial institutions bankruptcy is linked, include

Yamaichi Securities was a Japanese securities trading firm. The company announced it would cease operations on November 24, 1997 and was declared bankrupt by the Tokyo District Court on June 2, 1999. History Yamaichi, formed in 1897, was at one time one of the f ...

, Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, Sanyo securities and Tokuyo City Bank. * December 11 – Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties held in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

. As a result of the meeting, the

Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part ...

to impose greenhouse gas emission reduction targets was adopted. *

December 16 Events Pre-1600 * 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom. * 755 ...

– "

Dennō Senshi Porygon is the 38th episode of the ''Pokémon'' anime's first season. Its sole broadcast was in Japan on December 16, 1997. In the episode, Ash and his friends find at the local Pokémon Center that there is something wrong with the Poké Ball transm ...

", an episode of the Pokémon TV series, is aired in Japan, inducing seizures in hundreds of Japanese children. * December 18 – Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line opens. * The

Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a Hybrid vehicle drivetrain, hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door Sedan (automobile), sedan, it has been produced only as ...

, the first hybrid vehicle to go into full production, is unveiled in Japan on October 24, and goes on sale in Japan on December 9. It comes to U.S. showrooms on July 11, 2000.

Births

Shoma Uno Podium 2017 World Championships

*January 7 – Ayumi Ishida, singer *January 10 –

Ayuri Konno is a former Japanese actress known for her role as Amy Yuuzuki/Kyoryu Pink in the 2013 Super Sentai series ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger''. In July 2018, she announced her retirement from acting to pursue an opportunity outside the entertainment in ...

, actress *January 22 –

Erika Ikuta is a Japanese singer, actress and a former member of the Japanese idol girl group Nogizaka46. In addition to her work with Nogizaka46, Ikuta has appeared in multiple television and stage productions, including a Japanese production of ''Les Mis� ...

, actress *February 1 – Yūki Takahashi, professional baseball pitcher *February 4 –

Ayami Nakajō is a Japanese-British actress and model who is affiliated with Ten Carat. Biography Early life Nakajō was born in Abeno-ku, Osaka in 1997. Her mother is Japanese and her father is British. She grew up in a family with her mother, father, ...

, actress and model *February 23 –

Shiena Nishizawa , also known by her stage name Exina (stylized as EXiNA), is a Japanese pop rock singer from Saitama, signed to Sacra Music under Sony Music Entertainment. She won the Grand Prix in the first FlyingDog Audition in 2014. She released her debut s ...

, singer *March 4 –

Daoko is a Japanese singer and rapper born in Tokyo. She started her career when one of her uploaded videos on Nico Nico Douga received attention at the age of 15 in 2012. Career The name Daoko (ダヲコ) was originally her web nickname. Her first ...

, singer *March 7 –

Miki Honoka , formerly known as Honoka Miki, is a Japanese actress, fashion model and voice actress. Yahagi is best known for her role as Kotoko Aihara in '' Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo'' and its sequel ''Mischievous Kiss 2: Love in Okinawa'' as Kotoko I ...

, actress *March 8 –

Jurina Matsui is a Japanese Television personalities in Japan, TV personality, singer, actress, and YouTuber. She is a former member of Japanese idol girl group SKE48 and former concurrent member of AKB48 (in 2012–2015). She is recognized as SKE48's absolut ...

, singer *March 24 – Mina, singer and member of K-pop girl group Twice *April 9 –

Haruna Suzuki is a Japanese former figure skater. She is the 2011 Golden Spin of Zagreb silver medalist. Programs Competitive highlights ''JGP: Junior Grand Prix The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–9 ...

, figure skater *April 27 –

Sayuki Takagi is a Japanese pop singer formerly of Hello! Project. She was a sub-leader and member of Japanese idol group Juice=Juice. Her official nickname is . Her fruit in the group is lemon. She left Hello! Project and Juice=Juice on 12 February 2021. Bi ...

, singer *May 7 –

Irori Maeda is a Japanese pop singer and former member of the Japanese idol group AKBN0 (later known as N Zero). She is a former Hello Pro Egg member. She joined Hello! Project in 2006 as a member of Hello! Pro Egg. In 2011, she left Hello Project for AKB ...

, singer *June 4 ** Riho, professional wrestler **

Kana Nakanishi , formerly , is a Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized th ...

, singer *June 6 –

Akane Yamaguchi is a Japanese badminton player who is the reigning two-time World Champion, winning gold in the women's singles at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships. She was on the winning Japanese team at the Asian Junior Championships in 2012 and won var ...

, badminton player *July 7 – Erina Ikuta, singer *July 10 – Rena Katō, singer *August 10 –

Sara Takatsuki is a Japanese actress from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She is represented by the agency Sweet Power. Biography Takatsuki made her acting debut in the television drama "TSC Tokyo Girl" in September 2008. She was a member of the idol group, bu ...

, actress, model and singer *September 3 – Hana Kimura, professional wrestler (d.

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

) *September 6 –

Tsukushi Tsukushi may refer to: Places *Tsukushi Province, old Japanese province, subsequently divided into **Chikuzen Province, old Japanese province, part of Fukuoka Prefecture without south and east Fukuoka **Chikugo Province, old Japanese province, th ...

, professional wrestler *October 14 – Miru Shiroma, singer and model *October 16 –

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player. She has been ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champio ...

, tennis player *November 14 –

Ibuki Kido is a Japanese voice actress from Aomori Prefecture who is affiliated with HoriPro International. She began her career after participating in a voice acting audition held by Horipro in 2011. She played her first main role as Akiko Himenokōji in ...

, actress *November 20 –

Erii Yamazaki is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Chiba Prefecture, Japan, affiliated with Horipro is a large Japanese talent agency. History It was founded in 1960 as Hori Productions (ホリプロダクション ''Hori Purodakushon'') and ch ...

, voice actress *November 23 –

Akari Takeuchi is a Japanese singer. She is a second-generation member and the leader of the Japanese idol pop group Angerme. Biography Akari Takeuchi was on November 23, 1997, in Saitama, Japan. In 2008, Takeuchi joined Hello! Project as a Hello! Pro Egg mem ...

, singer *December 17 –

Shoma Uno is a Japanese figure skater. He is a three-time Olympic medalist ( 2018 silver, 2022 bronze, 2022 team bronze), the 2022 World champion and a two-time World silver medalist (2018, 2017), the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2019 Four ...

, figure skater *December 20 – Suzuka Nakamoto, singer ( Babymetal)

Deaths

*February 17 –

Ichimaru , born , was a popular Japanese recording artist and geisha. Her rivalry with another popular geisha singer, , created the " Era" in Japanese music history. Early life Ichimaru grew up in Japan with eleven siblings under harsh conditions. She ...

, Japanese recording artist and geisha (b.

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

) *March 10 –

Yorozuya Kinnosuke (November 20, 1932 – March 10, 1997) was a Japanese kabuki actor. Born , son of kabuki actor Nakamura Tokizō III, he entered kabuki and became the first in the kabuki tradition to take the name Nakamura Kinnosuke. He took on his guild name (''y ...

, actor (b.

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

) *April 4 – Haruko Sugimura, actress (b.

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

) *May 9 – Kazumi Kawai, actress (b.

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

) *June 21 – Shintaro Katsu, actor (b.

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) *July 23 –

Chūhei Nambu was a Japanese track and field athlete. , he is the only person to have held world records in both the long jump and the triple jump. Biography The first results known for Nambu are from the mid-1920s. He was a member of the Japanese Olympic te ...

, athlete (b.

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

) *August 1 –

Norio Nagayama was a Japanese spree killer and novelist. Biography Nagayama was born in Abashiri, Hokkaido and grew up with divorced parents. He moved to Tokyo in 1965 and, while working in Tokyo's Shibuya district, witnessed the Zama and Shibuya shootings. ...

, spree killer and novelist (b.

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2022. * January 2 – Luis ...

) *August 28 –

Masaru Takumi Masaru Takumi (宅見勝 ''Takumi Masaru''; June 22, 1936 – August 28, 1997) was a powerful Japanese organized crime figure assassinated in 1997. Until his death, he was the second-in-command (''wakagashira'') and financial overseer of Japan's ...

, Japanese yakuza lord (b.

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

) *September 30 – Nobuo Fujita, conducted only wartime aircraft-dropped bombing on continental

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

(b.

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

) *October 4 – Gunpei Yokoi, creator of

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...

and Game & Watch handheld systems (b.

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

) *November 18 –

Un'ichi Hiratsuka , born in Matsue, Shimane, was a Japanese woodblock printmaker. He was one of the prominent leaders of the '' sōsaku hanga'' ("creative print") movement in 20th century Japan. Hiratsuka's father was a shrine carpenter, and his grandfather was ...

, print-maker (b.

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

) *December 19 – Masaru Ibuka, electronics industrialist, co-founder of

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

(b.

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

) *December 20 –

Juzo Itami , born , was a Japanese actor, screenwriter and film director. He directed eleven films (one short and ten features), all of which he wrote himself. Early life Itami was born Yoshihiro Ikeuchi in Kyoto. The name Itami was passed on from his fath ...

, film director (b.

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

) *December 24 –

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

, actor (b.

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

)

References

1997 Year in Review
–

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:1997 In Japan Years of the 20th century in Japan